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Pulinda (Sanskrit: Pulinda) was an ancient tribe of south-central South Asia whose existence is attested during the Iron Age. The Pulindas were a non-Indo-Aryan tribe.[1][2]
Pulinda (Sanskrit: Pulinda) was an ancient tribe of south-central South Asia whose existence is attested during the Iron Age. The Pulindas were a non-Indo-Aryan tribe.[1][2]
During the later Vedic period, the Pulindas were living to the south-east of the Daśārṇas.[2]
Though clearly associated with the Vindhyan region, the Pulindas are sometimes believed to have had multiple tribal branches that ranged up to the Himalayan region and Assam.[3] In the Himalayan region, ancient Indian literature often mentions them in conjunction with the Kiratas.[3]
The Rock Edicts of Ashoka (269 BCE - 231 BCE) mention the Pulindas, their capital Pulinda-nagara, and their neighboring tribes, based on which their capital is sometimes located in present-day Jabalpur District of Madhya Pradesh state.[4] Basak identifies them with the hill tribes of the Vindhya and Satpura ranges, more specifically the Bhils.[5]